


The Right Choice

by aaliona



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: "harmless" biphobia, "harmless" homophobia, Character Study, F/M, Filipino Character, M/M, Not Beta Read, complicated mother/son relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25852720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aaliona/pseuds/aaliona
Summary: Percy deals with that feeling that every sexually fluid person knows when their well-meaning parents makes a pleased comment about their new heteronormative-looking relationship.
Relationships: Audrey Weasley/Percy Weasley, Percy Weasley/Oliver Wood (Past)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 97





	The Right Choice

**Author's Note:**

> I started spinning, and then I started imprinting. The rest is history.

Percy Weasley thought his heart has broken as much as it could. He’d thought it had started to mend and that it would never break again. Audrey was more than capable, but they had clicked so well that he hoped she would never want to. He hadn’t expected his heart to crack like never before the first time he took her home to meet his family.

“Gatdula,” his father repeated. “What an unusual name.”

“It’s Filipino,” Audrey explained with a smile. 

Percy saw a hint of concern in her eyes, but his father didn’t say anything of worry in response. He simply said, “Fascinating! Your family are muggles, yes? Can you please tell me…” Percy tuned him out at that point. His father could go on and on about muggle artifacts. Audrey humored him remarkably well, and Percy loved just watching her as she explained something about computers. Advanced stuff, for his dad.

“Yet another set of non-ginger babies.”

Percy managed to avoid turning his head as George’s voice carried from the kitchen. They might not notice him eavesdropping, but he wanted to be sure.

“Mum got Dominique,” Ginny said with a laugh.

“Hush.” 

Percy’s heart warmed as his mother cut them off. It didn’t sound like judgment—certainly not from either of them—but he hated anything that sounded like criticism. Unfortunately that warmth didn’t last. 

“I never said I needed ginger grandchildren. Besides, he’ll actually _have_ babies with her.”

Oh. 

“I’m glad he made the right choice.”

Percy let his head fall. Audrey noticed, bless her, but he should his head. He didn’t want anyone else to notice. If she realized he’d heard, his mother would probably scramble to explain herself, try to pretend she hadn’t meant exactly what she’d said. There was a reason Charlie didn’t come home very often. Their mother would never truly accept that he didn’t want a relationship, much less children. It was easier not to have the conversation.

Percy had never had it with her. He’d known there was plenty she hadn’t said. More than once, he’d caught her watching the way Oliver held his waist or the way Percy’s hand would linger on his boyfriend’s shoulder. He hadn’t told her in person when they’d broken up. He’d let George handle it. Percy hadn’t wanted to see her relief.

“You can’t blame her too much,” George had said. “I mean look at her brothers. Neither of them were exactly skirt-chasers, but has Mum ever mentioned it in her life? Her generation didn’t have a problem with it… as long as you buckled down and had babies anyway.”

“That’s not the same as being cool with it,” Percy had argued, and he still stuck by that. She’d loved her brothers in spite of the fact that they had a change to “grow up” and start families. She should love him because he was himself. Percy had never been what his parents had wanted. He’d been too needy and then too uptight as a child. He’d been too high strung in school. He’d been too power hungry after graduation. He’d been too naïve with the Minister. He’d been too everything for everyone.

Oliver had been different. He’d never tried to convince Percy to be anything but what he was. Perhaps he’d given Percy grief sometimes for not taking a break, but they’d gotten along much better than most people would have ever expected. Oliver was there when Percy was stressed, when he needed to vent, when he had doubts. When he and Penelope had called it quits. And after it all when the war was over, he’d been there when Percy realized he was bisexual. It hadn’t been Oliver who made him realize, but it was Oliver he wanted.

For three years, Percy’d had him too. When things fell apart, it hadn’t been some grand explosion or the relationship crashing apart. They’d simply drifted. They’d realized they didn’t want the same things. Percy could even say they were still friends, although he wouldn’t ever admit that his heart still ached.

He loved Audrey. Some days Percy thought he loved her more than he’d ever loved Oliver. Other days he knew it was just different. But contrary to his mother’s beliefs, he wasn’t making a _choice_ with her. Not the kind she meant. The only choice Percy had made was the choice to open his heart up again.

Audrey was wonderful, and as she squeezed his hand and made an excuse for them to leave, Percy marveled at how he’d been so lucky to have a second great love. He could picture a life with her. It was coincidence and not design that it happened to match what his mother wanted.


End file.
